Landscaper, gardener, arborist, or lawn care: who to hire in BC

Hire a landscaper to build or change your yard. Hire a gardener to maintain plants and beds. Hire a lawn care company for grass. Hire an arborist for large trees. Hire an irrigation contractor for sprinklers. Many businesses do two or three of these jobs, but each trade has its own skills, and the wrong hire costs you time.

Use the sections below to match your job to the right trade.

Landscaper: build and change the yard

A landscaper works on the structure of a yard. Typical jobs include new lawns, planting plans, patios, walkways, retaining walls, fences, drainage, and mulch or soil delivery. Some landscapers also offer regular maintenance.

Hire a landscaper when the job changes how the yard looks or works. A new patio is a landscaper job. So is regrading a slope that sends water toward your house.

Ask what the company builds itself and what it sends to a subcontractor. Larger projects often involve an excavator operator, a concrete crew, or an electrician for lighting. Get that in writing. The article on how to hire a landscaper in British Columbia covers quotes, insurance, and contracts.

Gardener: care for plants and beds

A gardener looks after living plants. Typical jobs include weeding, pruning shrubs, dividing perennials, planting annuals, deadheading, and bed cleanup. A gardener often works by the hour or on a regular visit schedule.

Hire a gardener when the yard is built and needs steady care. A gardener fits a yard with mature flower beds, a vegetable plot, or a lot of shrubs. Many gardeners know plant disease and pest signs, which a general crew can miss.

Gardeners do not usually build hardscape or run heavy equipment. Ask before you assume.

Lawn care company: grass only

Lawn care companies handle mowing, edging, aeration, overseeding, dethatching, and fertilizing. They work with crews and routes, so the price per visit is often lower than a custom service.

Hire a lawn care company when grass is most of your yard. Ask which fall and spring services come with the plan and which cost extra. Aeration and overseeding are often add-ons.

Pesticide use needs extra care. In BC, a person who applies pesticides for hire must be certified, and some municipalities restrict lawn pesticides. Ask any company that offers weed or pest treatment for proof of certification. Ask your city what its rules are.

Arborist: large trees and tree risk

An arborist works on trees. Jobs include pruning large branches, removing trees, assessing a tree that leans or has decay, and treating disease. Climbing, rigging, and chainsaw work at height are dangerous.

Hire an arborist when a tree is taller than you can safely reach from the ground, when branches hang over the house, or when the tree looks unhealthy. Ask whether the person is an ISA Certified Arborist. Ask for proof of liability insurance and WorkSafeBC coverage.

Do not hire a general landscaper to climb a big tree. Do not ask anyone to prune near power lines. Call the power utility first. In most of BC that is BC Hydro, though some towns run their own electric service.

Many cities and regional districts require a permit to remove a tree, even on private land. Check your local bylaw before the tree comes down. Nesting season rules also limit when some trees can be cut. Ask your arborist about both.

Irrigation contractor: sprinklers and backflow

An irrigation contractor designs, installs, repairs, and winterizes sprinkler systems. Fall blowouts with compressed air are the most common call. Spring startup is the second.

Hire an irrigation contractor for any system with buried lines and valves. Many municipalities require a backflow device on irrigation connections, and many require a certified tester to check it each year. Ask your contractor whether they test backflow devices or send that out. The fall yard cleanup checklist explains why blowouts need to happen before the first hard freeze.

Which trade for common jobs

A few jobs fall between trades.

Leaf removal. A lawn care company or a gardener can do it. A landscaper with a crew handles large lots.

Hedge trimming. A gardener or landscaper handles a hedge you can reach from the ground. An arborist handles tall hedges that need a lift or ladder work.

Sod or new lawn. A landscaper prepares the soil and lays the sod. A lawn care company can take over after the first few weeks.

Drainage problems. A landscaper can fix surface drainage with grading or a French drain. If water enters the house or a foundation, call a drainage specialist or a plumber first.

Retaining walls. A landscaper builds short walls. Many municipalities require a permit or an engineer’s design above a set height. Ask your local building department what the limit is.

Stump removal. A tree service or a stump grinding company does this. Some landscapers rent the equipment.

Questions to ask any of them

Ask what the job includes in writing. Ask for proof of liability insurance and WorkSafeBC coverage, and look up the business name before you pay a deposit. Ask who will be on site, and whether that crew works for the company or a subcontractor.

Ask who calls before digging. In BC, digging near buried gas, power, or telecom lines needs a locate request through BC 811 first. A professional excavator or landscaper handles this. If you dig a post hole yourself, call 811 before you start.

Get two or three quotes for any large job. Compare what each includes, not just the total.

Where to start

Describe the job in one sentence. If the sentence has a plant in it, call a gardener. If it has grass, call a lawn care company. If it has a tall tree, call an arborist. If it has water lines, call an irrigation contractor. If it has a patio, wall, or new bed layout, call a landscaper.